Stop the Idiocracy: May 2022

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Odds and ends: Yet more evidence the ‘Big Lie’ is just that, something smells rotten in the State of Texas, and more

CNN

Covering their tracks, just like good ole’ boys do: Uvalde school district police chief stops cooperating with state investigators - The narrative keeps changing, seemingly on an hourly basis. Did someone leave a door open, or did they not? Such evasion and confusion only fuels conspiracy theories and further mistrust. (Texas Tribune 5/31)

Rebecca Solnit: U.S. mass shootings will continue until the majority can overrule the minority - Yes, the GOP has become a large death cult. Albeit, a heavily armed and extremely dangerous one. (The Guardian 5/30)

Supreme Court issues emergency stay against Texas law ostensibly protecting free speech on social media platforms - The Texas law is a thinly veiled attempt to shield white supremacists and various other far-right zealots from liability, and Twitter, Facebook, etc., are private companies and can prohibit users from their platforms as they see fit. ‘Conservatives’ used to understand these sorts of things, before their brains turned to orange mush. (Politico 5/31)

Carolyn Kaster/AP

CISA: No evidence of hacking of Dominion voting machines in 2020 presidential election - Will Trump, the GOP, and #Cult45 finally give it a rest now with the Big Lie? Hell no, they won’t. (Washington Post 5/28)

Democratic Party lawyer Michael Sussman acquitted on charges of lying to the FBI (BBC News 5/31)

Christian nationalism on the rise in some GOP campaigns - I am a Christian, albeit a really bad one. But, these fundamentalists are becoming every bit as dangerous as the Islamists who have so perverted their faith and caused so much carnage around the world. They must be stopped. (AP 5/28)

Guns now the leading cause of death for American children, and America is broken beyond repair, but at least we’re not Russia

Marco Bello/Reuters

CDC: Guns are now the leading cause of death for American children - Nothing will be done. The far-right makes up, approximately, 40% of the overall population, and upwards of 80% or more of the rural population. They are, by far, the largest percentage of gun owners, and their ranks include many police officers and military personnel. The Constitution is written in such a way that privileges small states and rural areas over cities. The Supreme Court is heavily biased in their favor. Most of the state legislatures are controlled by the GOP, and they are gerrymandering congressional maps anywhere and everywhere they can get away with doing so. They may not control academia, the entertainment industry, or pop culture in general (though they are working hard to change all of that), but politically and legally they have this country by the proverbial balls. January 6, 2021, was just a taste of what is to come, and the rank-and-file of #Cult45 are just waiting for the word to begin slaughtering the rest of us. I’ve been saying all along, dating back years, that America is a lost cause. Yet we still have to fight: After all, we will eventually have to give an account to God of whether we stood up to evil, or helped facilitate it. I am not anti-gun and would be opposed to just outlawing them altogether; but some basic measures to ensure to the greatest extent possible that only trained, qualified, and law-abiding individuals are allowed to possess them would not be an ‘infringement’ on the Second Amendment. No private citizen needs to own weapons of war, such as an AR-15. All rights come with responsibilities and limits, so do tell why gun ownership should be exempt? But, as I said, nothing is going to happen, except more bloodshed. America today is akin to places like Iran, much of the Middle East, Russia, etc., where ignorance and superstition is increasingly becoming enforced, and intellect and reason are gradually being suppressed. Go down fighting. (Axios 5/26)

Damon Winter/NYT

Michelle Goldberg: America may be broken beyond repair - Do ‘we simply stumble on, helpless as things keep getting worse?’ That has been the state of affairs for a couple of decades now, but simmering rage can only build up for so long before it explodes. It is very hard to see any scenario now where the country can heal these riffs and be held together. Therefore, the question becomes: Is this union worth persevering, or would it be for the best for the United States to be dissolved and a series of new, smaller states to emerge from its ashes? If it is the latter, there will be extreme disparities between the new states that emerge in terms of their economies, laws, standards of living, and so forth; and there will be bloody wars between some of these states from time-to-time. If one looks at the history of Europe over the centuries - and even within the last 100 years - borders are constantly changing, alliances come and go, and those processes always entail great conflict and bloodshed. So, just breaking America up does not guarantee there will no longer be strife between the peoples of this vast continent. But it would appear people in New England, or California, or in Chicago no longer want to be ruled over by people from the rural South and Midwest, and vice versa. Each side wants to impose their lifestyles and values (or lack thereof) upon the other, neither is in the least bit interested any longer in compromise and going along to get along. Something will have to give. (New York Times 5/27)

Yuri Kochetkov/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/WP

Russians face prospect of Soviet-style shortages as sanctions bite - Excerpt: ‘Stung by Western sanctions, Russia is starting to devolve into a secondhand economy dependent on poor substitutes, where shortages are stirring memories of the consumer wasteland that was the Soviet Union. While it may be able to find new purveyors for some Western-made goods and components in friendly countries such as China and India, Russia is increasingly determined to make its own — returning to policies of import substitution that yielded a vast, if globally uncompetitive, industrial complex before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Already, Moscow is facing serious challenges.’ (Washington Post 5/26)

Roger Dean

Fourteen warning signs that you are living in a society without a counterculture - Serious food for thought here. We are not living in a vibrant culture that rewards independent thought and creativity. I think that’s something we all should be ashamed of, and be working to fix. (Ted Gioia 5/28)

Rest in Peace, Alan White: Hall of Fame drummer of YES fame dies at 72 (AP 5/26)

This is beautiful. The Beach Boys serenade Alan White, sometime within the past few years. RIP to a great drummer and human being.

Never really 'got' The Band, and I believe that holds true for most who came after that '60s generation. But, any musician who had a positive impact on peoples' lives as Ronnie Hawkins did deserves to be celebrated. (CBC News 5/29)

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Our darkest days grow colder: Shooting at elementary school in Texas leaves 18 small children dead, Trump wanted to hang his own VP for not cooperating with the J6 insurrection, and the dangerous despot in Hungary seizes more power for himself

Jacob Langston/NYT

Testimony before the House January 6 committee reveals that Trump allegedly stated that Mike Pence needed to hang - Nothing is shocking anymore with Donald Trump, and this revelation is no exception. In normal times this one anecdote alone would have been the scandal of the decade, and there would be widespread outrage. America has undergone a ‘shock treatment’ of sorts for the past twenty-one years, and desensitization has set in for many. And others are embracing the evil lurking inside them, as we will see in the next paragraph. Welcome to Hell. (New York Times 5/25)

Reuters

Another f**king school shooting, another bloody day in #Murica - Mass shootings are now an almost-daily occurrence in this sick country. No hyperbole, people everywhere are cracking. Eighteen kids, and one adult dead; the shooter, probably another one of these teenage incel types, killed by police. Americans are once again horrified, and once again no action will be taken. Guns are only part of the problem, and guns are an effective deterrent when used responsibly and lawfully by qualified individuals - no, many of these kids are being doped up on Ritalin, overstimulated on video games and electronics, most are not reading, they are largely not allowed to play outside. They are no longer taught manners, seeing as so many of the grown-ups around them are rude and stupid individuals, and genuine role models are few and far between. Even most of those in #Murica who present themselves as upright and full of wisdom turn out to be scam artists and charlatans; wolves in sheep’s clothing. I’ve long had a vague suspicion that the new Babylon spoken of in prophecy is the United States of America. At this moment, I am not suspecting anything; this may as well be Babylon, and it deserves to die. All of that good, patriotic stuff about America that people still cling to is simply gone, long past us in all but facade. May the Lord Jesus have mercy on us. (BBC News 5/24)

Olivier Hoslet/AP

Hungarian despot Viktor Orban seizes more power for himself with ‘state of danger’ declaration - Using the war in neighboring Ukraine as a pretense, the populist strongman and Putin ally erodes democracy further. Remember, this is the model the GOP is openly praising and emulating. (AP 5/24)

Sen. Mitt Romney warns that the United States must be prepared for Russia to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine (KSL 5/23)

The U.S. supplies Ukraine with lethal ‘Switchblade’ drones that can target Russian tanks and artillery from miles away (Ukraine 24 5/24)

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

President Biden issues a stark warning to China, President Putin engineers global famine, while Christian nationalists plot to bring #Murica back to the 1800s

Evan Vucci/AP/CBC News

President Biden, speaking in Japan, says the U.S. will use force to defend Taiwan if necessary - In the wake of Russia’s struggles in its ‘special operation’ in Ukraine, now is an appropriate time for the U.S. to remind these glorified warlords that it is not in their interest to prey upon that which does not belong to them. By all means, though, keep on undermining this president, #Murica. We’ll end up with the return of Trump, or the arrival of a more competent and dangerous populist demagogue. At which point, American soldiers may very well end up helping Putin and Xi conquer territory and commit genocide; or, at the very least, nothing will be done to assist our former friends and allies. Thank you, Mr. President, for working to maintain global order and Western values, at a time when both are under constant assault from external enemies and internal malcontents alike. (Reuters 5/23)

Sky News

Over a quarter of a million tonnes of grain sitting in Odesa harbor, prevented from being shipped out by Russia’s naval blockade - Vladimir Putin is engineering a global food catastrophe, while NATO finds itself trapped between a rock and a hard place. Putin is not going to be reasoned with. All efforts must be made to reach the Russian people, encouraging them to rise up and overthrow this menace to humanity. Barring that, NATO stepping in and removing him by force will be the only recourse, and I believe that inflection point is going to be reached soon. (Sky News 5/23)

Soaring death toll among Russian troops may trigger public backlash, says intelligence officials - An excerpt, to demonstrate how badly the Russian military is faring: ‘The UK officials tweeted: “In the first three months of its ‘special military operation’, Russia has likely suffered a similar death toll to that experienced by the Soviet Union during its nine-year war in Afghanistan.” This war took place between 1979 and 1989. The Soviet Union invaded to oust the anti-communist guerrillas, with the backing of the Afghan communist government. The Soviets lost nearly 15,000 troops in the bloody conflict and many more were injured. Russia may now have a similar death toll now because of its disorganised approach, according to UK officials. The MoD tweeted: “A combination of poor low-level tactics, limited air cover, a lack of flexibility, and a command approach which is prepared to reinforce failure and repeat mistakes has led to this high casualty rate, which continues to rise in the Donbas offensive.”’ (Huffington Post 5/23)

PsyPost

Two scholars share their warning for America about white Christian nationalism - Though it rarely has been expressed in specific terms, the entire premise of this movement - call it nationalism, right-wing populism, Fascism, Christofascism, ‘conservatism,’ Trumpism, on and on - is a deep-seeded desire to control and punish society. It is debatable how many of its adherents know or understand exactly what they are being led to believe. Some years back, I was wrapped up in this stuff myself, and only saw the light when everybody began embracing the world’s most obvious orange conman. It is not debatable that a good percentage fundamentally do understand, though, and have been obeying the dog whistles all along. Confirmation bias is a powerful tool. In the days of Jim Crow, Caucasians were an overwhelming majority. Today, the purveyors of white nationalism and pseudo-Christian theocracy - their primary organizing force being the Republican Party - must set up a state similar to apartheid-era South Africa, where less than a quarter of the population are privileged and the overwhelming majority are severely dispossessed and oppressed. Gradually, they are succeeding in this endeavor, and in great part because the majority of the majority of the population barely have a clue. When the Fascist takeover is complete, they are in for a great shock, but I gather most of them will fall in line rather quickly. Those of us who do understand the threat and are pushing back, we face a very uphill battle and an uncertain future. Better to be dead than to be enslaved, and I know which way I’m going when the moment comes. (Americans United for Separation of Church and State 5/23)

Monday, May 23, 2022

Odds and ends: Russian soldier sentenced to life in prison in killing of unarmed Ukrainian civilian, Americans being replaced by zombie shells of their former selves, Early Voting wins the Preakness, and more

stock photo, via Crosswalk.com

Thought of the day: If only Americans weren't too busy engaging in culture wars and moral panics, and if this were still a serious nation instead of a glorified circus (#Murica), then Putin wouldn't feel so emboldened. Americans are completely failing the Ukrainian people. Exactly what kind of dystopian nightmare are we living in here? Not that there is a ‘good’ kind; all I know is, I want off. #StopPutin Слава Україні

Milwaukee Independent

Kevin McDermott: Yes, real America is being ‘replaced.’ By a radicalized political right - Quote: ‘How is it that people who have nothing but contempt for the principles that define the best of this country today have somehow managed to designate themselves as the arbiters of what it means to be American?’ (St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5/21)

Straight out of the 1930s: Trump speaks via satellite to CPAC conference in Hungary - Alongside #Cult45 stalwarts Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, and a Hungarian journalist who smeared Jews as ‘stinking excrement,’ Roma peoples as ‘animals,’ and blacks with the infamous ‘n’ word. (Business Insider 5/22)

Mariupol on the verge of a health and sanitation ‘catastrophe’ - Seeing the destruction of Mariupol from afar has been among the more horrifying and disturbing events I can remember. I pray I never have to witness such horror in person. Please continue to pray for Ukraine. (Ukraine 24 5/22)

Young Russian soldier convicted of killing an unarmed citizen, sentenced to life in prison - The first of many such convictions to come, Lord willing. (Washington Post 5/23)

(VIDEO) An interesting look at the Russian city of Vorkuta, north of the Arctic Circle and, according to Wikipedia, ‘the easternmost town in Europe' - A longtime coal mining hub that has been losing population for decades. During the winter, they have two hours of daylight in a twenty-four hour period Yet, there is a surprising liveliness about the place, far removed from Moscow, or anywhere else on the planet.

Julio Cortez/AP

Here come the conspiracy theories: Early Voting wins the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes (AP 5/21)

Rest in Peace, Vangelis. Greek composer dies at age 79 - 'Chariots of Fire' will always be a resplendent piece of music. (Prog Magazine 5/19)

Saturday, May 21, 2022

‘Learned helplessness.’ #Murica is now a glorified death camp. Plus, Trump cronies installed in the Inspector General’s office found to have targeted certain SSDI recipients, the emergence of ‘Dark MAGA,’ Liz Cheney tells it like it is, more

COVID-19, shootings: Is mass death now tolerated in America? - ‘Learned helplessness’ is how one expert spoken to for this AP article describes the atmosphere in modern #Murica. Where, oftentimes, cowardice is mistaken for courage, mass stupidity is mistaken for independent thought, and pure callousness is mistaken for godliness. Excerpt - ‘After mass shootings killed and wounded people grocery shopping, going to church and simply living their lives last weekend, the nation marked a milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19. The number, once unthinkable, is now an irreversible reality in the United States — just like the persistent reality of gun violence that kills tens of thousands of people every year. Americans have always tolerated high rates of death and suffering — among certain segments of society. But the sheer numbers of deaths from preventable causes, and the apparent acceptance that no policy change is on the horizon, raises the question: Has mass death become accepted in America? “I think the evidence is unmistakable and quite clear. We will tolerate an enormous amount of carnage, suffering and death in the U.S., because we have over the past two years. We have over our history,” says Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist and professor at Yale who, before that, was a leading member of the AIDS advocacy group ACT UP. “If I thought the AIDS epidemic was bad, the American response to COVID-19 has sort of ... it’s a form of the American grotesque, right?” Gonsalves says. “Really — a million people are dead? And you’re going to talk to me about your need to get back to normal, when for the most part most of us have been living pretty reasonable lives for the past six months?”’ (AP 5/21)

National Council on Aging

Trump crony installed in the Inspector General’s office directed employees to grossly abuse a program meant to investigate disability fraud, levying excessive fines over petty violations against more than 100 individuals - If the GOP cannot destroy Social Security by legislation or public consent, they will do so by stealth and incrementally. Remember this, anyone and everyone, when going to the polls in November. (Washington Post 5/20)

Michigan elections chief alleges Trump wished for her to be executed for treason for refusing to validate his claims of election fraud - There is no bottom, save for the remaining sane, rational, and humane people of America rising up and throwing all Fascists out of any and all positions of authority. #Murica needs ‘denazification’ - an incendiary term when used to describe Putin’s ‘special operation’ against innocent Ukrainians who did nothing to provoke Russia’s wrath; but a bit more accurate when describing millions of American nationalist populists who are displaying increasing levels of hostility toward the rest of society, to say nothing of recklessly engaging in scary, cult-like behavior. I am increasingly afraid this only ends with President Biden having to resort to drastic measures, and right now millions of populist Americans are determined to test him. (NBC News 5/19)

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Dark MAGA: ‘(E)mbracing the role of the villain and stripping away any facade of decency’ - As if it wasn’t dark enough to begin with. No, this is just all proving that the degradation can and will always get worse, and nothing can be put past those hellbent on dominating society and destroying anyone deemed to be an enemy. (Business Insider 5/15)

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images/Axios

Rep. Liz Cheney calls out her own party: ‘The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism’ - It is not every day we see a member of Congress display genuine integrity, but a fire has been lit under Liz Cheney. (Axios 5/16)

Monday, May 16, 2022

Capitulating to COVID and getting shot down in the streets and in the aisles of supermarkets: Just another weekend in #Murica

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

I reject the populist notion that ‘the people’ - in very general terms and never including disfavored groups - are sacrosanct and ‘good’ just by virtue of existing. So what if you’ve worked hard in life, if you’re a Fascist a**hole, or otherwise deluded into a belief system I do not follow, then I do not want you governing me. Period. Truth be told, most people are not good people, as we can see from the sordid headlines below. Hard truth about life, but the most necessary one.

CNN

Eric Topol: The COVID capitulation: As the virus accelerates its evolution, humans retrogress - Excerpt: ‘The United States is now in the midst of a new wave related to Omicron variants BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 with over 90,000 confirmed new cases a day and a 20% increase in hospitalizations in the past 2 weeks. That belies the real toll of the current wave, since most people with symptoms are testing at home or not testing at all; there is essentially no testing for asymptomatic cases. The real number of cases is likely at least 500,000 per day, far greater than any of the US prior waves except Omicron. The bunk that cases are not important is preposterous. They are infections that beget more cases, they beget Long Covid, they beget sickness, hospitalizations and deaths. They are also the underpinning of new variants.’ (Ground Truths 5/15)

Matt Rourke/AP

Buffalo supermarket shooter was inspired by the ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory, live streamed the shooting to followers on Twitch - I do not even have the words today for how sick this is. My condolences to the families and friends of all victims. (Washington Post 5/15)

President Biden condemns the racially motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket (NBC News 5/15)

One day later, another mass shooting as gunman opens fire at California church, killing one and injuring four others (New York Times 5/15)

Wait, there’s more: Two dead, three wounded in shooting at Houston flea market (Fox 26 Houston 5/15)

Mass shooting in Milwaukee following basketball game leaves many injured, mayor imposes two-night curfew (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 5/15)

Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe/Getty Images/Pats Pulpit

On and off the field, one of the great New England Patriots of all-time. Rest in Peace, Gino Cappelletti (New York Times 5/13)

Saturday, May 14, 2022

#Murica has a baby formula shortage, while one of its top basketball stars sits in a Russian prison; Turkey’s Erdogan threatens to use NATO veto power to block admission of Finland and Sweden, and the Philippines has a new leader much like an old one

Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters

President Biden says he expects the baby formula shortage to ease in coming weeks - How the hell do we have a shortage of baby formula in the United States of America? Something about contamination of supply and there somehow only being four viable manufacturers of the stuff, I know, but all of this crap we’ve dealt with in the last couple of years ultimately traces back to gross incompetence. The dumbing down of America is nothing new, but now the pace at which the degradation is happening is moving forward at lightning speed. This is absolutely not the country I grew up in. (Reuters 5/13)

DPPI/Ann-dee Lamour/LiveMedia/Shutterstock

American basketball star Brittney Griner’s pre-trial detention in Russia extended by a month on charges of allegedly smuggling hashish oil (the horrors) into the country - This woman’s detention is 100% politically motivated, designed to enrage the American public into demanding their officials cede to Putin’s will. An American women’s basketball star was his easiest target, as many female stars play in Russia during the WNBA offseason to supplement the relative pittances the American league pays them. The problem with all of this, of course, is that the American public is indifferent to the plight of a black lesbian. Now, if this were Tom Brady in her shoes, the reaction would be more akin to what Putin is seeking. #JustSaying (ABC News 5/13)

Yves Herman/Reuters

Erdogan: Turkey would not be 'favorable' to Finland and Sweden joining NATO - The least trustworthy of all NATO powers, an autocracy that has been gradually embracing Islamic fundamentalism for the past two decades, but they’re going to lecture the Europeans on who should or should not be in NATO. Erdogan has had a love/hate thing going on with Putin for years, and has pivoted his country away from the West. He has also greatly harmed relations with Israel. The better question here is, ‘should Turkey remain a part of NATO,’ and not whether two of the most civilized, prosperous, and peaceful nations on earth belong. (Sky News 5/13)

Another blow for humanity: Son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos wins presidential election in the Philippines. (AP 5/10)

Friday, May 13, 2022

One bloviating, likely compromised, U.S. Senator delays billions in vital aid to Ukraine

Pavel Golovkin/AP

Swine bag senator and Putin toady Rand Paul takes advantage of absurd procedural rules to delay the U.S. Senate voting on $40 billion aid package to Ukraine - Populists on the left and right need to stop bemoaning U.S. aid to Ukraine. It is a vital national security imperative that we support the first line of defense against Vladimir Putin and his designs for global tyranny. Or, worse, nuclear armageddon. Of course it is all deficit spending and the country is going to go broke, but attending to global security is not frivolous when there is a nuclear-armed madman on the loose. Only someone beholden to Putin - remember this is the bastard who went to Moscow and hand-delivered a note from Trump to Putin - would work this hard to hurt the Ukrainian people. But public sentiment in the United States does appear to be drifting in Rand Paul’s direction on the issue of Ukraine, and I think the American public is feeling burdened with the situation and wants nothing more to do with it. The longer this goes on, the more resentful the American public will grow toward the Ukrainian people - not toward Putin, they respect and fear him, but toward the victims. #Murica. (Washington Post 5/13)

U.S. director of national intelligence Avril Haines warns that Putin is prepared for prolonged conflict in Ukraine (New York Times 5/10)

Thomas Friedman: President Biden said to be ‘livid’ that certain American officials have been loose-lipped concerning their role in helping Ukraine kill Russian generals and destroy Russian warcraft (New York Times 5/06)

Ukrainian forces wipe out nearly an entire Russian battalion while the Russians attempted crossing a river in the Donbas (Times of London 5/12)

Sunday, May 8, 2022

The United States is dying by its own hand, being killed by those who, on one hand, claim to love it most, and yet also falsely claim to be most betrayed by it. Putin’s stooges, wittingly or unwittingly. F**k you

Shutterstock

Wishing all my friends who are moms, and to all moms, a wonderful Mother’s Day. And extra special blessings to all the Ukrainian mothers. #StopPutin #StandUpForUkraine Слава Україні

EA Worldview

I believe we are maybe two, three years away from the vast majority of white Americans rising up and explicitly demanding the ethnic cleansing of the United States. Led on by Donald Trump and the GOP. There is no way this union stands much longer, its people hate each other too much for that to be possible. There is no other logical end game for this extreme right brainwashing that has been so successful in destroying any semblance of unity - whatever that may or may not have entailed beforehand - in this dying country. And when the moment of the ultimate right-wing coup arrives, and it will, the nationalist populist alliance will sacrifice useful idiots such as Clarence Thomas, Candace Owens, Dan Bongino (is he black?), and the braying stereotypes known as Diamond and Silk. Bank on that, they are all useful idiots and each lower than an ‘Uncle Tom.’ We are in for ugly times in this Fascist hellhole, especially once #Murica finally gets done s**ting on President Biden - the best president this nation has had in decades, that an entire country is determined to undermine - and succeeds in pushing him aside. I hold zero hope in this nation’s people and this country has outlived its usefulness - once considerable and beneficial to global order - to humanity ...

I am begging President Joe Biden to assert his authority over this country. A country full of whining a**holes, enough already! Mr. President, address this persistent unpopularity in opinion polls, and set the people straight! My one complaint with this man is that he is, usually (there have been wonderful exceptions), too damn nice. Crack the whip, Mr. Biden, get #Murica in line. Marital law if need be, these malcontents are begging for it. Supporting Putin while they can see Ukrainian civilians are being targeted and killed, my god. How could I possibly stand with the people of my country, as a believer in God, when they cheer on such evil toward innocents and hate their own leader without due cause?

Christian nationalism and white supremacy are going to make an ostentatious last stand in #Murica - already doing so to a degree - and it’s going to be our final undoing as a nation. The people who claim to love this country the most will be most responsible for its demise …

Why hate modern #Murica, redneck nation? Have any of its most fervent adherents done even a single positive thing for this country in years? Truly? Do they do anything but express hate and engage in mindless tribalism, as if these were the Middle Ages? Does the @GOP really have anything of value, or no value, to offer this country, f**king airheads and useless dolts they are? Will the other party ever grow a spine and denounce populism for this country’s own good? Will the people of this country, so out-of-control and full of hate and ignorance, ever be brought to bear and listen to reason? I feel it so strongly in the air, people just want to start killing each other, and that is going to happen, soon. For my own personal safety, and for the sake of all that is good and holy, I pray God that He will bring this evil nation to its bloody knees. Seriously, 99% of you are f**king evil, America, and my God is going to make you pay for your evil.

Susan Walsh/AP

The First Lady visits Ukraine on Mother’s Day - And she will receive not one ounce of appreciation or acknowledgement from the American people, evil bastards. (AP 5/08)

Bryan R. Smith/Getty Images

WHO: Worldwide COVID-19 death toll is estimated to be nearly three times higher than officially reported - New estimates include those believed to have died as an indirect result of the pandemic, or ‘excess deaths’ as they are classified. (CNN 5/05)

NYT: The era of cheap and plenty may be ending - The end began long before 2020, but that is when it began in earnest; when the real hurt began settling in. America’s best years are behind it, and inflation is here to stay. Vladimir Putin is not helping matters any. Excerpt: ‘Starting late in 2020, prices for washing machines, couches and other big products jumped sharply as production limitations collided with high demand. Inflation has only accelerated since. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further snarled supply chains, raising the prices of gas and other commodities in recent months and helping to push the Fed’s closely watched inflation index up 6.6 percent over the year through March. That is the fastest pace of inflation since 1982, and price gains are touching the highest level in decades across many advanced economies, including the eurozone and Britain.’ (New York Times 5/03)

Francisco Seco/AP

Dozens feared dead in Russian attack on school in the eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia - In the same city where the nuclear power plant was attacked on March 3, nearly triggering a global catastrophe. This level of evil knows no bounds and will only be stopped by sheer force. (AP 5/08)

Panzerhaubitzen: Germany to send self-propelled armored howitzers to Ukraine, offer training to certain Ukrainian soldiers - The big guns; can fire up to a distance of 25 miles. Another remarkable shift in long-standing German policy, which has always been to avoid sending weapons to regions involved in conflict. (Deutsche Welle 5/06)

(UATV Video 5/08) Russian students experience the consequences of taking part in protests against the 'special operation.'

Thursday, May 5, 2022

America passes a dubious COVID-19 milestone with little fanfare, while China locks down its cities. Plus, a sobering statistic about the devastation in Mariupol, a rant against the populist tendency to decry the ‘overeducated,’ and more

Ed Wray/Getty Images

The United States surpasses one million dead from COVID-19 - A shameful age. America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is the single biggest failure in its entire history. Americans shrug their shoulders and say they are ‘done with COVID.’ The speed of collapse is accelerating at a terrifying pace. (NBC News 5/04)

Beijing closes dozens of subway stations as COVID precaution, even though the number of known cases in the city of 21.5 million is only 51 people - Just another reminder to all Americans who spent the past two years whining non-stop about masks, lockdowns, and vaccines that they didn’t have it so tough. (AFP 5/04)

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

Russian forces have killed (at least) twice as many residents of Mariupol in two months than the Nazis did during two years of occupation in World War II - Excerpt: ‘The occupiers brought at least 13 mobile crematoria there to hide their crimes in Mariupol. Also, satellite images have already revealed three places of mass burial near Mariupol. The scale of the trenches is appalling.’ (Ukraine 24 5/05)

Getty Images

GOP House member from the Land of Stupid (Florida) slams abortion rights advocates as ‘overeducated’ - Memo to sleazy, creepy Rep. Matt Gaetz, and to every idiot populist in #Murica (which is most of the country): There is not any such thing as being ‘overeducated,’ and it is shameful that a U.S. congressman would denigrate learning and enlightenment in this manner. Although it’s nothing new, particularly in Southern states. From Huey Long, to George Wallace, to today’s crop of populist stooges, there will always be money to be made in #Murica by appealing to the resentments of the common folk. Puting all else aside about the creep, his use of the word ‘overeducated’ alone should disqualify Rep. Gaetz from serving in Congress or any other capacity. Instead, and in spite of his legal troubles, his political fortunes have likely /received yet another boost from adoring #Muricans. This is today’s GOP, taking full advantage of the fact that modern Americans are more petulant and prideful than at any point in the nation’s history. (The Independent 5/04)

TLC

Former cast member of ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ and unwitting star of idiotic social media memes commits suicide at age 16 - I remember the controversy over this ‘reality TV’ program. Borderline pedophilia, but the vast majority of the American people swooned and said, ‘how adorable,’ as ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ became a cultural phenomenon. In many cases, it was the very same people who believe any conspiracy theory they hear and routinely brand political enemies as Satan-worshiping child molesters. Then this little girl - without her consent - became the face of a million Internet memes. Maybe it is time that all of you who love memes, and especially memes featuring children being ‘cute,’ reconsider. Having a laugh at others’ expense is not harmless behavior, and individuals in this rotten world should not exist solely for the entertainment and amusement of the masses. That is exactly what Americans did to this young lady; they reduced her entire being to an ‘aww, isn’t this cute’ meme. Furthermore, this girl’s parents got exactly what they deserved, and I’m thrilled they are now suffering. I applaud Kailia Posey for telling her horrifically evil parents and American society-at-large to all go f**k themselves. May she rest in peace. (BNO News 5/04)

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

What in the hell is wrong with this man? Pope Francis blames NATO, seeks meeting with Putin. Plus, a rant on extreme judicial overreach and legislating from the bench as a long-standing high court decision is set to be overturned

Andrew Medichini/AP

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Catholic Church’s chief prelate, declares NATO holds a degree of responsibility for Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine, says he wishes to travel to Moscow to meet with Putin - I am saying this as a lifelong Protestant, but a purported man of God would not be victim-blaming, and would boldly state that Putin is an agent of Satan who is never going to be reasoned with. Nor would ‘Francis’ be giving any hearing to Russia’s absurd claims of NATO aggression toward them if he were not given to this ‘both sides are at fault’ rhetoric we tend to hear from leftist peaceniks during any given global conflict. The world around us is colored in shades of gray, yet there is a clear villain and a clear protagonist in this fight. No, I would think a man of God would be able to more clearly recognize right from wrong, and would be unequivocally supporting the people of Ukraine instead of speaking of his desire to rub elbows with a genocidal madman. (Religion News Service 5/03)

Glen Garanich/Reuters

Ukrainian forces destroy fifteen Russian aircraft in one day - It is estimated that up to 25,000 Russian troops are dead. Perhaps we may never know the actual death toll, but we do know that the Ukrainian military is showing itself to be more than formidable. (Ukrinform 5/04)

National minority groups taking the brunt of Russian military losses in Ukraine - As opposed to ethnic Russians. While taking some losses, they are not often the ones on the front lines. Human life is meaningless to Putin, and his military is nothing more than his personal meat grinder. (UATV Video 5/02)

Jose Luis Magana/AP

Roe vs. Wade will be overturned, purported leaked Supreme Court draft suggests - I do not speak of my personal feelings about abortion, I will not do so under any circumstance, and I do not approve of others speaking about it publicly; pro or con. I will only say that I find the passionate activists on both sides of the issue to be insufferable. And all I know is, the Supreme Court has apparently just voted to put a match to a tinderbox. #Murica has been one mere inch away from a modern civil war breaking out, and this very well may be the last straw. A depraved, polyglot country spread over such a vast area of land is not built to last (that also means you, Mother Russia, especially you), and I am disgusted to have to be a citizen among such unserious people. There are a million more pressing issues we face, but we’re going to kill each other over what ought to be a completely private matter. Mr. Putin is having a blast watching this s**tshow from afar. And, all you Republicans celebrating right now, know the Democratic Party is licking its lips and rubbing its hands, now that they have a cause that is going to galvanize their base to come to the polls in November in epic numbers. And how is the GOP going to galvanize that portion of their base that votes for them only because of abortion, now that the Court has made its ruling and the days of back-alley butcherers are coming back? What was looking like a certain victory for the GOP may now be their undoing. Assuming, of course, elections are even held and the entire country hasn’t burned to the ground by November; cannot stress this enough, there is going to be widespread protests and violence in the coming days, weeks, and months. This is extreme judicial malpractice by the Supreme Court - these nine individuals know the people of this country are chomping at the bit to start slaughtering one another, they know we are still not completely out of the woods after two years of a deadly pandemic, and they know nuclear warfare is all too real a possibility at the moment thanks to the aforementioned Mr. Putin. They could have refused to hear this case, in the interest of trying to keep a fragile peace, but they chose to do so in spite of the danger. We know full well several of these Justices are not really judges at all, but political activists posing as such, put there by the respective parties to enforce their given political agendas. and they will go down as war criminals for overstepping their boundaries and wading (no pun intended) into issues that they should have no business taking up. No more lifetime appointments - one four-year term on the Court and then they are done. These black robes are drunk with power, and are entirely insulated from the consequences of their decisions. (Los Angeles Times 5/02)

Monday, May 2, 2022

The hard left and the nationalist populist right drowning out the center, and neither extreme has any love for Ukraine

John Minchillo/AP

The few million Americans on the hard left, and the many more millions of the nationalist populist right - #Cult45 - each want to commit genocide against all who disobey them. There is no other possible endgame for all of their madness. They have no intention of living in peace with others, they want the ‘others’ gone. Each extreme is a manifestation of their various resentments and their hatred for everybody who does not look, think, or act as they do. When the civil war begins in earnest, it will be those in the middle who will be targeted first by each belligerent side. To ideologues and murderous extremists - which roughly two-thirds of this country has either become or is becoming - not taking a side is the greatest sin of all. Truth be told, the rest of us are on a side: The side of reason and sanity. A losing battle. We had one last victory in November 2020, and as a result we have a president who is level-headed and doing what he can to slow down America’s descent into Hades. All he can do is try to slow it down, but the people of this country will not allow him to do so. Our battle is pretty well lost, we have entered the ‘gates of delirium’ (and if one wants an aural portrait of the hell that is about to descend upon the United States, google the song with that title and listen.) I’ve been feeling this coming on for several years, and the dread only grows stronger: We are closer to civil war than even its highest ringleaders know. #Murica

Lauren Caulk/The Guardian

Republicans leading generic congressional ballot in ABC News poll, respondents blame President Biden for every ill in the universe - Newsflash: Americans are either pathetically, embarrassingly stupid, or they approve of sedition, racism, treason, and Fascism. Of course, the answer is ‘a bit of both.’ (ABC News 5/01)

International Committee of the Red Cross/AP

First civilians allowed to leave Mariupol steel plant, hundreds remain - Prayers for the Azov Regiment and all else still defending the plant. (AP 5/02)

Ukrinform

President Zelenskyy thanks President Biden and the American people for their support - Unfortunately, not all in #Murica are actually supporting Ukraine. Best I can tell, after about a week or two, most wanted to hear nothing more about it. They are more concerned with celebrity scandals, race baiting, and what others are doing with their private parts. All too many - a large percentage, and the loudest voices - have spent the last two years kicking and screaming for their right to be ignorant. Longer than two years, but it is reaching a fever pitch. The country is self-destructing, and anyone who thinks politicians, businessmen, and ‘elitists’ are solely to blame for that is a bloody fool. Thank you, President Zelenskyy, on behalf of that remnant of Americans who still want to live in an orderly and free universe. Слава Україні (Ukrinform 4/28)

Democracy Now

Hard left icon Noam Chomsky spouts baseless conspiracy theories, praises Trump for seeking a ‘diplomatic solution’ to the war in Ukraine, and demands that innocent Ukrainians submit to Putin - It is the extreme left and extreme right that are driving the agendas of the Democratic and Republican parties, and they are the ones driving the public discourse. The plurality of people in the middle have been drowned out, and that is not by accident. Extremists always hate moderates more than they hate the extremists on the other end of the spectrum. It is becoming outright dangerous to be a moderate, to not take a side, in #Murica today. It is really no surprise that both extremes are falling over themselves to praise Vladimir Putin and victim-blame the Ukrainian people. It is no surprise they are turning a blind eye to the genocide occurring, as they wish nothing more than to witness a large-scale purging of the American population. Noam Chomsky and every hard left radical can join #Cult45 and the rest of the right-wing whack jobs in the depths of Hell. (Mediate 5/01)

A succinct thread identifying the key reason that Europe has been so reliant on Russian energy - Slowing climate change is a must, but how to balance that with more immediate economic and national security imperatives is the Catch 22 of our time. (Nika Melkozerova 4/29)